Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni considers his country's meeting with England in the 2026 World Cup semifinals to be merely a football match between two teams chasing a ticket to the final.
Scaloni dismissed suggestions that the England-Argentina encounter was fraught with rivalry off the pitch, including the context of political conflict.
"This is a football match. We're going to play a football match against a great national team with a great coach whom I greatly respect and admire," Scaloni said, as quoted by The Guardian on Monday.
Argentina will face England in the 2026 World Cup semifinals at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.
The Albiceleste advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time, while England secured their place in the semi-finals after beating Norway 2-1.
